Commodity accommodation and vending rack



2, 1938- s. N. GOLDMAN 2,125,557

COMMODITY ACCOMMODATION AND VENDING RACK Filed Dec. 22, 1937 2 Sheets-v-Sheet l m a N Q N w 5 a? I I an:

I l wk i g E l ks N . Inventor flyimmfaldwmz.

' Attorneys Aug. 2, 1938.

S. N. GOLDMAN COMMODITY ACCOMMODATION AND VENDING RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 22, 1957 N A N Inventor jylmzz/Vaidmam By git 19m Aiiorneys Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED S ATES PATENT" OFFICE COMMODITY ACCOlVllVIODATION AND VEND- ING RACK I 4 Claims.

The invention disclosed in the accompanying drawings, and about to be described and claimed, relates to what may be broadly referred to asa commodity accommodation and vending rack. Visualized in greater particularity, however, it relates to a relatively small portable style accessory, expressly but not necessarily, adapted for usein grocery stores and similar establishments, it primary purpose being to facilitate self-service handling of bottled milk and equivalent articles.

In reducing to practice the preferred embodiment of the invention I have found it expedient and practicable to employ an open-work frame structuralightweight but durable, said structure being characterized in particular by an inclined chute which adequately supports the bottles and permits the same to feed by gravity. toward the discharge end for expeditious removalj'by. 'the customer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible or foldable frame embodying transverse end members and longitudinal frame members, the parts being hingedly adjoined together and maintained, when in use, in non-foldable position by a detachable insert, which latter partconstitutes the runway or chute for the contents of the rack. V

Such other specific equipments as are embodied in the assembly will become more readilyappar ent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numbers designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the rack set up for use.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical or cross sectional View taken approximately on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2. V

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the use of a double acting clip employed for assembling two of the racks in side by side relationship, when it is desired to employ the same in battery combinations.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the means utilized at the front for employing the racks in pairs whenever necessary or desired.

Figure 6 is a view showing, in perspective, one of the end members and illustrating how a portion of the flange is bent to serve as a detent to facilitate maintaining the frame folded.

Figure '7 is a detail View of the two-way or double acting rack assembling clip.

Reference being had now to Figures 1 and 2 in particular, it will be observed, as before indicated, that the foldable or collapsible frame means forming the open-work rack is essentially constructed from the use of a pair of duplicate longitudinal side frames or units 8 and connecting transverse front and rear units 9 and I0. Each side frame is preferablyrformed from wire of appropriate strength and includes a horizontal bottom bar I I, an inclined top rail I2 and vertical front and rear connecting members I3 and II. The end members 9 and I0 each include sheet metal plates I5 of appropriate dimensions. The opposite ends of the plates are rolled upon themselves to form tubular assembling and hinging elements I B. The elements I6 surround the end posts or hinge members I3 and I4 whereby to foldably assemble the respective units. Attention is called now to the laterally bent bottom flange I] on the front end wall. This'is. directed laterally inward and at its center has upstruck tongues I8 which constitute detents for the adjacent end of the channel-shaped bottle supporting and frame retaining chutel9. This part I9 is of a length commensurate with the complete'frame and occupies an inclined position, the opposite end thereof being 'removably snapped into'an outwardly pressed keeper seat 20 formed horizontally in the upper portion of the rear wall 2| as brought out to advantage in Figure 2. These coacting features I8 and 20 serve to effectively maintain the detachable channel l9 in'place. In turn the part I 9 maintains the frame distended or in rackforming relationship.

Considering the laterally directed flange on the lower portion of the wall 2| (see Figure 6) it will be observed that one end thereof is bent or deflected as at 22 to form what may be conveniently called a retention lip. This lip frictionally engages the adjacent frame member 8 and facilitates maintaining the two frames parallel while inserting and removing the slanting chute I9.

I now call attention to additional auxiliary accessories. For example, a suitable suspension hook 23 may be provided on the end wall I0 whereby to permit the device to be hung in an ice-box or similar place and to dispose it conveniently in a horizontal position, to expedite removal of the products by the passing customer.

I also call attention to the double acting clip 24. This comprises a suitable metal plate 25 having bent sheaths or hooks 26 at opposite ends adapted to snap over adjacent end members I 0, when two of the racks are positioned in sideby-side relationship as somewhat diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 4. In this figure it was considered not necessary to show the whole rack since the principle of assembling is quite evident. It is perhaps, novel, however, to employ a plurality of racks and to detachably assemble and join the same together by this double hook clip 24. The hook alone does not serve to securely adjoin the two racks. Thus it will be-seen that each rack is provided on one of the frame members with an auxiliary clip 21. This is in the form of a ring surrounding the bottom bar I I. It is provided with .an outstanding bendable end portion 28 which can be bent into hook form as shown in Figure 5. Thus, with the clip 24 at one end and the auxiliary 'bendablecli'p means 21 and 28 at the opposite end, the racks may be arranged in convenient pairs. This is merely for augmented display and convenience ofuse. l

The features denoted by the numeral 29 at the front in Figure 1 are simply bendable tongues or ears such as may be employed to hold in place a price tag, trade-marking card or the like (not shown) T In use,- the following features will be found praiseworthy. I

'The bottle rack is placedfinside of grocery dairy boxes, milkbottles are placed on the'slide and when a customerin a self-service store removes one bottle from-the front the balance of the bottles slide forward, thereby keeping'the milk bottles constantly brought to the front of the box so shoppers do not have to reach far back into the box to get their'bottles of merchandise. Another advantage is that when refilling this slide the bottles are placed in the back of the merchandise already there. This keeps the old merchandise always pushed forward and. it is moved out first. The form I have shown is primarily for milk bottles; however, if this idea is patentable of course I would want to try' to include or cover as wide an area as possible;

' It is thought that the description *taken in connection with the drawings will enable a clear understanding of the invention to be' had. Therefore, a more lengthy description .is thought unnecessary. I r i I While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described,it is to be understood that minorschanges coming :within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired. v,

. port detachably connected at opposite ends to the transverse end plates.

2. In a rack of the class described, a pair of longitudinal side frames, forward and rear transverse plates hingedly attached at their opposite ends to the adjacent front and rear ends of said longitudinal side frames, and an inclined channel-shaped longitudinally elongated bottle support detachably connected at opposite ends to the transverse end plates, one of said plates having a'flange provided with upstanding detents to accommodate the channel-shaped plate.

, 3. In a rack of the class described, a pair of longitudinal side frames, forward and rear transverse plates hingedly attached at their opposite ends to the adjacent front and rear ends of said longitudinal side frames, and an inclined channel shaped longitudinally elongated bottle support detachably connected at opposite ends to the transverse end plates, one of said plates having a flange provided with upstanding detents to accommodate the channel shaped plate, and the other plate having a depression forming a keeper seat permitting the adjacent end of the channel shaped plate to be removably snapped therein.

4. A collapsible portable Vending rack of .the gravity feed type comprising a pair of horizontally elongated vertically disposed side frames arranged in parallelrelationship, forward and rear .transverseend-plates hingedly attached at theiropposite ends to the adjacent front and rear ends of said longitudinal side frames, one

, of said end plates having a horizontal, flange provided with upstanding detents, the other plate having a depression forming a, keeper seat, and a horizontally disposed inclined delivery plate longitudinally elongated and adapted to support a plurality of bottles,'said plate being arranged between the frames and one endof the plate being releasably engaged with said flange and detents, the other end of the plate being removably fitted in said keeper seat. 7

SYLVAN N. GOLDMAN. 

